UAF spin-out company claims environmental innovation prize
April 15, 2020
Jeff Richardson
907-474-6284
A University of Alaska Fairbanks spin-out company captured the grand prize at the
2020 Alaska Airlines Environmental Innovation Challenge this month, winning top honors
in the competition for its concept of a portable water-treatment platform that destroys
contaminants.
The competition, which is dedicated to finding solutions for environmental problems,
was held virtually this year from the University of Washington. Along with the $15,000
grand prize, the competition provided Aquagga Inc., with networking opportunities
and a forum for promoting its technology. Aquagga also won the Domestic Grand Challenges
Action Prize.
“It was good validation that what we’re working on is important and needed,” said
Brian Pinkard, a University of Washington Ph.D. candidate and one of three founders
of the company.
Aquagga, which was formed last August by Nigel Sharp, Jonathan Kamler and Pinkard,
is developing new technology to destroy PFAS, which is a common environmental contaminant.
The company negotiated the exclusive license to develop a UAF-patented technology
for treating wet waste.
PFAS is an abbreviation for perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances. The chemicals, which are widely used in everything from firefighting foams to nonstick
pans, don’t break down naturally. The technique for destroying PFAS uses an existing
process that combines high temperatures, pressure and oxygen to break down the molecules.
“It’s sort of a pressure cooker on steroids,” said Sharp, the startups and innovation
manager for UAF’s Center for Innovation, Commercialization and Entrepreneurship, or
Center ICE.
Kamler, a UAF Ph.D. student, developed and patented the technology, which is scalable
enough to make the system portable, able to be towed behind a four-wheeler and transported
to a remote site.
Finding a solution to PFAS contamination is a huge concern for countries around the
world, making it lucrative territory for a start-up company. Sharp said PFAS cleanup
will be an estimated $40 billion industry by 2025.
The Environmental Innovation Challenge prize is the latest for Aquagga. The Aquagga
team also won the Best New Pitch Award at Accelerate Alaska, won second place in the
2019 Alaska Seed Fund competition, and was invited to the U.S. Department of Energy’s
Innovation XLab event last year.
ADDITIONAL CONTACT: Nigel Sharp, nigel.sharp@alaska.edu